During the month of
October there were filed in the county clerk's office reports of seventeen
births, three deaths under the vital statistic law of the state. For the
same month but three deaths were reported. These reports do not convey an
intelligent idea of the vital statistics of the county as they are manifestly
incomplete. The reason for this is due to the fact, quite probably, that
there is no provision made for paying physicians for making the reports.
The law says that they shall do it, but as it is in the nature of performing a
service to the public without compensation, the physicians do not take the
interest in it that they would. This is natural, and while reports are
desirable, they will probably never be obtained until the state pays a small
fee, at least, for the reports and then demands them.
The record, as reported, for October is as
follows: